Airships

Airships were the first aircraft capable of controlled, powered flight and were most commonly used before the 1940s; their use declined as aeroplanes surpassed their capabilities. Their decline was accelerated by a series of high-profile accidents, including the 1930 crash and burning of the British R101 in France, the 1933 and 1935 storm-related crashes of the twin airborne aircraft carrier U.S. Navy helium-filled rigids, the USS Akron and USS Macon respectively, and the 1937 burning of the German hydrogen-filled Hindenburg. Since the 1960s, helium airships have been used where the ability to hover for extended periods outweighs the need for speed and manoeuverability, such as for advertising, tourism, camera platforms, geological surveys, and aerial observation.